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Fancy the Samsung Galaxy S4 but not keen on all the extra stuff Samsung puts in it? Rumours suggest there’s a version with pure Android on its way.
The S4 is packed with Samsung apps, such as fitness-tracking S Health. But if you’re not interested in the extras, Geek.com quotes sources at today’s Google I/O event who claim an S4 Google Edition will be announced with just your basic stock Android software built in.
Most Android phones come with extra bits and bobs added by the manufacturer. If you want straight-up pure Android with no extraneous extras, the Google Nexus 4 is pretty much your only option.
Speaking of the Nexus 4, there’s also talk of a white version of Google’s phone to be unveiled at I/O.
The S4 has come under fire for the amount of memory used up by Samsung’s own-brand software, leaving you with less space for apps, games, photos, music and movies. The 16GB model has around 8GB of usable storage, a problem that’s even attracted the attention of BBC consumer champion
Anne Robinson of Watchdog. So a version of the phone with stock Android makes sense, from a consumer point of view.
But I’m sceptical about the prospect of an S4 without any extras. The whole point of these extra features is to make a phone stand out from the crowd, so there’s little incentive for Samsung to sell a phone without any of those standout features.
We’ll find out in the next couple of days, as Google I/O kicks off this evening in San Francisco. The annual developer get-together usually sees a new version of Android unveiled, which means there’s a possibility we’ll see Key Lime Pie for the first time — although there are hints Key Lime Pie might stay under wraps for the time being.
On the hardware side, we’re also expecting an update to Google Nexus 7 with an improved screen.
Would you buy a no-frills S4? Should all Android phones have the option to strip out the extras? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or head for our Facebook wall.
